Management of Negotiation - Personal Negotiation Skills - Essay Example

Assessment of Personal Negotiation Skills

Introduction

Becoming a negotiator is not an easy task considering the diverse issues such as psychology, language, communication, and interpersonal skills determine the course of negotiation, which an individual must understand (McMains and Mullins, 2013). The following is a detailed assessment of my negotiation skills based on real life negotiation experiences and the class simulations including Multisumma as well as Colortek job cases. The assessment will establish my strengths and weaknesses as a negotiator. The evaluation will further focus on the perceptions that others have on me guided by the negotiations I have undertaken over time. The evaluation will illuminate a personal plan of developing and improving my role as a negotiator beyond the limits of the course.

Negotiation Skills Based on Real Life Situations

I prepare thoroughly for negotiations. Preparation as a critical component of the negotiation process irrespective of the parties involved. Multiple-party multiple issues or two parties multi issues negotiations require parties to make thorough preparation for the obligations or demands that the other parties may present on the negotiation table (Kray, Galinsky, and Markman, 2009). I was once involved in a multiparty negotiation, with other six parties. Our aim was to negotiate issues regarding the establishment of long-term academic relations. I speculated the likelihood of internal and external problems, which prompted me to request the parties to consider preparation as a way of avoiding academic failure. I consider thorough preparation as a fundamental strength as a negotiator guided by the effort we made to establish a viable foundation for future academic and even business relations.

Correspondingly, the nature of negotiations and the academic issues at stake required the parties to coordinate information as well as knowledge to establish a long-term agreement. I learned that convening negotiable details were not as important as understanding every aspect before the actual engagement. According to (Ness, 2009), any party should understand their BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement). The essence of preparation was evident in the academic negotiations is due to its ability to define academic success for students while equipping them skills for future use. Overtime, I have learned the extent I am supposed to consider next best alternatives guided by issues arising from past negotiation experiences. The ability to develop alternatives gives the bargaining power in the deal making, which I intend to use to expand the scope if interests of the negotiation process.

Another equally strong skill as a negotiator is invoking decision makers, whom we identified as agents in the negotiation process. The primary aim of an agent is to serve the interests of the parties involved guided by the terms of agreement established (Ito, 2009). Any successful negotiation process requires representation through an agent. The essence of invoking the role of the agent was the foundation of my short-term contract with a marketing company. I wanted to have a decent salary alongside desirable terms of service within short period. While using a lawyer was costly, it was the cushion I needed from the employers who could exploit my amateur skills. The lawyer was not a decision maker in the entire process. The priority was to have a relationship based on established legal frameworks, which define employment of new and experienced employees. The imperativeness of having an agent is the lifeline of any two or multiparty negotiation process. While the agents may have limited authority or influence in any negotiation process, they help the parties to reach binding decisions. I acknowledge the essence of having specialized knowledge, expertise, and experience at my disposal due diverse negotiation issues, which can bring the conflict of interests if parties use the wrong approach. I understood the hardship of reaching a hiring agreement with a prospective employee with extensive experience with the marketing company guided by the extensive negotiations that took place. My aim is to use the agent to coordinate responsibilities to construct an acceptable agreement that would sustain them in long-term business.

Evaluation of Negotiation Skills Based on Class Simulations

Using Relationship Building Skills

I engage in the process of relationships building in negotiations guided by the experience I gained from the class simulations. Both multiple parties-multiple issues and two party-multi issue negotiations simulations aim at establishing relationships for mutual benefits. I noticed that the intent to have a relationship between the parties was higher than even setting the ground for business. Remarkably, the Colortek case involved multi-issue, but the company sought to negotiate the money among other hiring aspects as a part of creating a relationship with the employee who will become responsible for the marketing program. A similar situation was evident in the Multisumma case study. The four aircraft engine companies were willing to set aside their culture differences and market leadership for the sake of the relationship that was going to make an integral part of their business in the aircraft market. Maude (2014, p.65) concurs that building relationships are the very first stage of negotiations, which gives the parties the bargaining power. Admittedly, I am convinced that the relationships would build subsequent behaviours that would vary in duration and countries.

A similar notion of relationship building occurs in a two-party two-issue negotiation exercise. I realized the case of Myti-Pet that the parties acknowledged a relationship as the fundamental negotiation aspect. Participants must create a rapport if they want the integrative and distributive skills to make any significant changes in their negotiation process. While the Myti-Pet case presented a case of managing emotions and power, it presented a two-team exercise that required the establishment of a relationship that would see the suppliers negotiate terms, which could favor their respective companies. Punnett (2015, p.1965) argues that the development of relationships across a group of diverse culture becomes the foundation for working together. Diverse perspectives may emerge but the time spent on each issue is little. Additionally, Punnett (2015) concurred that the persuasion, concessions, and agreements that occur subsequently determine the success of the negotiation process.

Evidently, I have to deal with complex issues as a negotiator, which requires careful management right from the time the ground is set for deal making. I remembered that discussions with parties from Asian markets such as Japan vary considerably with the America situation, where the relationship comes after the creation of mutually beneficial agreement. According to Punnett (2015, p.196), Japanese companies focus on building relationships first to know if they can dedicate time to the subsequent negotiations. It was critical for the U.S Airborne, to consider building a memorandum by considering how the parties acknowledge the role of relationship. Katsu was an integral component of the deal that aimed to create a partnership that would increase the likelihood of creating a leading partnership in aircraft engine business. Aquilar and Galluccio (2008, p.10) understands relationships as means for sustainability and increase the attractiveness of the negotiations. The notion was evident in Sally Soprano I, which simply involved an integrative negotiation between opera agents and opera house. I noticed multiple-parties multiple issues, and two party multi issues feature significant similarities, but they have noteworthy differences, which pertain the aspects of managing negotiations.

A Negotiator Who Understands Diversity

I acknowledge the role of diversity as a negotiator dealing with parties from diverse descents. Multiple parties-multiple issues elicit diverse issues and interests in the negotiation process. Dissenting views emerge, which requires parties to make relevant considerations (Imai and Gelfand, 2010). I noticed that Multisumma case that uncovering the priorities of the parties involved was as critical as considering the diversity of the multiple parties and issues from the case study. Each company represents a different market origin, which compelled the parties to consider the discussion from Japanese, U.S, Italian, and French context of the parties aimed at reaching a universally acceptable agreement. The case study showed the essence of sustaining objective-sound principles that become essential when diversified parties negotiate issues relating to fairness and industrial roles. According to Swann Jr., Johnson and Bosson (2009, p.82), any offer on the table increases the likelihood of success when the parties understand that diverse viewpoints emerging from the negotiations.

On the other hand, Colortek presented a two-party-multiple issues case, where diversity did not define the negotiations between the corporate vice president and the prospective worker. The case study showed that not all negotiations acknowledge the diversity of the interests regarding the parties (Wang and Han, 2012). Discussing the terms of hire was the primary intent of the Colortek case as opposed to the Multisumma situation where the parties focused on incorporating the cross-cultural needs of the participants. The only challenge in two-party multi-issues negotiation is developing and employing an objective approach to establishing mutual benefits to parties. The basis of the objective framework is the core needs of the parties rather than the natural issues that define them. Parties consider their BATNA in the event the parties do not reach an agreement within the specified time.

Perceptions of Others about My Negotiations Skills

My classmates think that I may possess possible poor negotiation approaches because I acknowledge gender diversity during negotiations. I understand the dealing making the process as a platform for equality hence the essential female parties in the decision-making. The possibility of landing a contract requires the participants to overcome gender stereotypes that obscure the interests of the parties involved (Louthan, Cohen, and Szabo, 2011). Multisumma presented a viable tool of positional bargaining that my classmates ignored when judging my negotiation skills. The male advantages in the mixed-negotiations impede the ultimate performance because the gender stereotypes do not give the female parties bargaining power (Bowles, Babcock, and Lai, 2007). Clearly, my colleagues know nothing about interests or alternatives, which could elicit diverse outcomes. Gender of parties should have played a significant role in the negotiations to eliminate the possibility of taking advantage of any weak BATNA or bargaining power.

However, the classmates acknowledge my power to break the barriers of diversity, which may impede the performance of the negotiations. The congruence of the interests of the parties determines the extent they will establish a universally acceptable contract or agreement. The process helps to avoid limiting the advantage, which each party has in the negotiation process (Richieri Hanania, 2014). Multisumma case presented multiple issues, but the primary aim was finding a focal point with other players from France, Italy, and Japan. Conversely, the fairness of the two-party negotiations in the Colortek case study showed that I should consider fairness, particularly when I have an advantage over the other party. According to Wang and Han (2012), breaking the barriers of diversity and individual characteristics promotes the distributive as well as integrative negotiation outcomes.

My friends attribute my success as a negotiator to the ability to form of coalitions. The class simulations confirmed that forming a coalition is the foundation of multiple party multiple issue negotiations, which determine the way the parties come up with strategy and understanding the similar as well as dissenting viewpoints (Huffaker, Swaab, and Diermeier, 2010). Multisumma presented a negotiation of details, but the four parties created a rapport before discussing the partnership. The parties knew that reaching a memorandum of understanding would require the creation of satisfactory relationships to control the engine markets. Additionally, the essence of creating coalitions is to promote the performance of the negotiations. I am negotiator who anticipates different outcomes but explores coalition strategies to reveal true interests in the deal making.

My close relatives associate my negotiation to the skills of caucusing. The relatives understand that forming interest groups is an important factor that promotes the success of multiple party-multiple issues negotiations when compared to two-party multi-issue activity (McIntyre, 2013). Multisumma and Colortek Job simulations presented parties who understood the essence of caucusing to overcome the concerns that emerged from the discussions. Structuring the negotiations based on the principles and special difficulties of the parties gives rise to a mutually beneficial agreement. I realized that a 30-year joint partnership, manufacturing, and the marketing of aircraft engines was at stake, but the parties in the Multisumma negotiations used representatives to determine the course of the exchange. The formation of caucuses shapes commitments, communication and eliminates special constraints emerging from the negotiators (Ware and Ware, 2007). Caucuses help negotiators to present their true interests in the discussions to maximize the benefits parties intend to gain.

My parents downplay my negotiations skills of using different approaches multiple party-multiple issue activities (Olekalns and Smith, 2008). I am guided by Colortek job simulation, which presented parties who understood the essence of using diverse approaches to power in creating long-term relationships. Colortek needed an employee who could execute environmental awareness duties. The vice president could have used his power advantage to dictate terms of service to the prospective employees, but the party understood how powerful the other worker could be. Finding an objective basis facilitated the creation of terms of salary that were fair to the organization and the employee. Similarly, Sally Soprano I and the opera house did not know details about the each other, which could have become the foundation for the contractual negotiations. The house needed a lead soprano while Sally needed the job. As Korobko and Musa (2014) argues each party has the power to determine the course of the negotiation but finding a balance becomes a foundation for the potential endorsement and agreement

Personal Plan of Developing and Improving My Negotiations Skills

I will incorporate emotional intelligence as to improve my negotiations skills. Managing emotions of the parties is a fundamental component of negotiations (Olekalns and Smith, 2008). Differences or conflicts emerge in the negotiation process, but the legitimacy of the issues helps parties to consider managing their emotions to realize the intended outcomes (Cherniss, 2010). I noticed that the integrative and distributive issues in the Colortek job negotiations informed the decision of the Vice President to consider discussing the terms of salary. The approach closely ties with the emotions management that emerged from the Myti-Pet case, which improved the relationship between the consumers and the suppliers.

I will utilize the strategy of game theory. I realized that the negotiators in Multisumma case understood the mechanics of game theory as an effective negotiation strategy. Parties aim at maximizing substantive outcomes of the negotiations in a game theory approach (Monheim, 2015). The four aircraft manufacturers presented diverse culture contexts and market leadership issues in the intended 30-year joint partnership. Finding congruence of the interests using game theory was the factor behind the success of the negotiation process. The cross-cultural negotiations might have been an impediment, but maximizing substantive outcomes of the four parties shaped the discussion.

Correspondingly, a win-win strategy will come in handy. Colortek Job simulation presented a different case where the two parties chose to use a win-win negotiation strategy for the deal-making process. Clearly, finding the terms of service or salary was problematic for the Vice President. Similarly, the prospective employee wanted to fill up a position that has fair remuneration package. Win-win negotiation strategy applies in two party instances due to its problem-solving capability (Yang, Singhal, and Xu, 2012). Parties seek to understand their BATNA, but they focus on realizing the mutual benefits of the objectives despite the wide scope of the issues.

Conclusion

Assessing my negotiation skills from the perspective of real life situations, perceptions from others and class simulations has helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses in negotiations. I acknowledge preparation and using agents as integral aspects of my negotiation skills. I can build relationships, deal with complex issues, and employ diversified views to accommodate parties from different locations. Other people attribute my success in negotiation to breaking barriers of diversity, caucusing, and coalition building while they acknowledge gender diversity as a weakness. Nonetheless, I will develop and improve my negotiation by employing win-win negotiations, game theory, and emotional intelligence strategies.